Ebook351 pages5 hours
Tony Ryan: Ireland's Aviator
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
About this ebook
In this authorised biography of one of the most remarkable Irishmen of the twentieth century, Richard Aldous is independent in his judgements and frank in his examination of his subject's shortcomings and eccentricities. But most of all, he writes with verve and pace.
Tony Ryan was born in a railwayman's cottage and rose to enormous success, overseeing the spectacular making of two business fortunes and the dramatic loss of one.
After an early spell in Aer Lingus, he set up an airline leasing company, Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA), which had its headquarters in Shannon and quickly became the largest such enterprise in the world. Ryan was a hard taskmaster and the company reflected his ferocious work ethic. Yet, despite a stellar board of directors, a botched and poorly timed Initial Public Offering in the 1990s saw GPA crash and burn.
Ryan lost almost everything. All that remained was a little airline running massive deficits. Ryan set about turning Ryanair around, putting in one of his assistants, Michael O'Leary, to help knock it into shape. The rest is history.
Ryan remade his fortune, lived lavishly and elegantly, was a generous patron of the arts, and in every respect larger than life. His spirit is one that Ireland needs more than ever today. As the nation strives for its own recovery, it can find inspiration in the story of how one of its most famous sons rose and fell, and then rose again. Not one to stand still or lament mistakes, Tony Ryan's determination never to give up is the real lesson of this story. He was in so many ways Ireland's Aviator.
Tony Ryan was born in a railwayman's cottage and rose to enormous success, overseeing the spectacular making of two business fortunes and the dramatic loss of one.
After an early spell in Aer Lingus, he set up an airline leasing company, Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA), which had its headquarters in Shannon and quickly became the largest such enterprise in the world. Ryan was a hard taskmaster and the company reflected his ferocious work ethic. Yet, despite a stellar board of directors, a botched and poorly timed Initial Public Offering in the 1990s saw GPA crash and burn.
Ryan lost almost everything. All that remained was a little airline running massive deficits. Ryan set about turning Ryanair around, putting in one of his assistants, Michael O'Leary, to help knock it into shape. The rest is history.
Ryan remade his fortune, lived lavishly and elegantly, was a generous patron of the arts, and in every respect larger than life. His spirit is one that Ireland needs more than ever today. As the nation strives for its own recovery, it can find inspiration in the story of how one of its most famous sons rose and fell, and then rose again. Not one to stand still or lament mistakes, Tony Ryan's determination never to give up is the real lesson of this story. He was in so many ways Ireland's Aviator.
Author
Richard Aldous
Richard Aldous holds the Eugene Meyer Chair at Bard College, New York, having previously taught for fifteen years at UCD. He is the bestselling author of numerous books, including Great Irish Speeches, Reagan and Thatcher and The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli.
Related to Tony Ryan
Related ebooks
The Daniel O'Connell series. Book 1: Youth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Last King of Ireland Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDaniel O'Connell, The Last King of Ireland Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThunder and Lightning Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bootle Boy: an untidy life in news Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Crean: The Extraordinary Life of an Irish Hero Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Untidy Life: What I Saw at the Media Revolution Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Hugh Brewster's Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Dhobie’s Bight to Duntroon Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Irish Are Coming Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsErnie O'Malley: A Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Coming Down in the Drink: The Survival of Bomber 'Goldfish', John Brennan DFC Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnymore for Anymore: The Ronnie Lane Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCornish Folk Tales for Children Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Krays' London: A History and Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTo Hell or Monto: The Story of Dublin's Two Most Notorious Red-Lights Districts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJJ Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTake These Men: Tank Warfare with the Desert Rats Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In Faith, Work and War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFly Boy: The Life and Times of a Fighter Pilot Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlbert Reynolds: Risktaker for Peace Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAfter the Dance: Selected Stories of Iain Crichton Smith Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Talk of Many Things: Law, Sports, Politics, Nature Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Forties: Good Times Just Around the Corner Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Wicked Wit of Ireland Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kingdom Overthrown: Ireland and the Battle for Europe, 1688-91 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Shadow of the 'Boyd': Aotearoa Classics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCornerstones of Courage: The Story of Ssgt. William J. Bordelon, Usmc Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsToronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919-1939 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Susan Orlean's Rin Tin Tin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Business Biographies For You
Same as Ever: Timeless Lessons on Risk, Opportunity and Living a Good Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Confessions of a Bookseller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, 3rd Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?: How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mortuary Confidential: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Elon Musk Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hidden Genius: The secret ways of thinking that power the world’s most successful people Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uncanny Valley: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Claim Your Confidence: Unlock Your Superpower and Create the Life You Want Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crazy Rich: Power, Scandal, and Tragedy Inside the Johnson & Johnson Dynasty Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (A Little) Craziness and (A Lot of) Success in America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The House of Gucci: A True Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School (Review and Analysis of McCormack's Book) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Tony Ryan
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Tony Ryan - Richard Aldous
UaLd book_preview_excerpt.html }ˎ$DZĒJ9)@w#HK]xfxfFWDx2-hqr6h1 d9fYM
0`n3+2ǎ>9}8
?|I>,vq㦺K՟~pP}6Ϟ'/-^x8UVڹnC5cՅ:6:Wu5}P5c:>Mx
աMTicϩoOc*i'TMG,֓Ʃbۄm_Oq7Ui_X>2C;&<Ѥ-CwBn∅˿i848W8?rm{Q
p(0P
~Mb`16<_>6~ICV]Z4<8tG'tJǪ4K
;H&/6C.\O0:mCmNLpH
dMM!oi7|CT!@Xٷ|~>r6uOyPñ ^w W0TEuEk~P܈7_J9w]Spc}w豳٦y!E'b?*sB_>p\>cm(L]7
pxm+;=-=T8졣xG5ܹΪ|Z o\muaP]u-r<5YN)vbrXwySm5M arn[7w&dn.
W0/1Ny:Fiuj&
yNkꯐ֖1D8Ƒvf1m )
cE8چ^HaOVN龍G_AύJR0_0?6Ż훁oYVZTO*
nKAh u:#cCcOJ:@&!?91& !6nAL&slPWh FaEA8Τu!
8!"ء0 ׅ\{?i%1v22Y8CRS6? ؇=SsvRfPafPH
)͡~!a\
:6 "X@d
`/<4y7&Eִ,@z@4w-4PT.<B~w+㚄H@d4{۰{8U8呎fd3Nɼܜb~yH'+sT'_O47b{{Ez9CʻaQe]/&7sO!Lï&?4obILV/WKu_(`ݶz
i>ȴ@[Ty`i\-s2`y
q=~=$i6!8\btgWqdXP39vf6<Ι>ݻ8W<ӣIqjiٴ^E